Brisket for 'bubbes': Cherry Hill JCC raising funds to feed seniors

The senior citizens who regularly show up for lunch at the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill love brisket.

Many are bubbes, Yiddish for "grandmothers."

Combine brisket and bubbes, and you have the latest fund-raising campaign for one of the largest senior meal programs in South Jersey. The program seeks to nourish body and spirit for older adults by serving inexpensive kosher meals and engaging fellowship five days a week.

Founded by the center 30 years ago, the program serves about 20,000 meals annually. It was started to address a growing problem among the elderly: malnutrition and loneliness.

"They still have a lot going on, but they think there's  no place for them to go," said Marcy Lahav, the center's adult, cultural, and Judaic director.

The average participant in the program is 82, widowed, and lives alone. Many may find it difficult to prepare a meal for one, may be struggling to make ends meet, or may not eat enough. There are also grandfathers, or  zaydes, Yiddish for "grandfathers," and about 75 couples who regularly attend.

According to Feeding America, nearly six million senior citizens in the country face hunger.  Of the households served by Feeding America age 50 and older, 63 percent say they must choose between buying groceries and paying for medical care. The numbers are expected to increase as the baby boom generation gets older.

"It's sad. They may not be eating healthy meals," said Melissa Mordecai, a nurse practitioner at Kennedy Health System who specializes in geriatric care. "It's easier to choose off the dollar menu than it is to buy fruits and vegetables."

More than 100 seniors, ranging in age from 60 to 99, gathered in the festively decorated lunchroom at the Katz Center on Springdale Road on Friday for lunch, which is served from noon to 1 p.m.  The meals cost $2.50 and are prepared on-site by a chef. Over the last three decades, the program has served about 600,000 meals, Lahav said.

The center hopes to raise about $10,000 for the meals program through the campaign. The program costs about $100,000 annually to operate. Senior Citizens United Community Services provides about $65,000, leaving the center to offset the budget deficit.

First-time attendee Arlene Cooper, 66, of West Berlin, a retired phlebotomist, was encouraged to attend by her daughter-in-law to get more interaction with her peers.  She said she enjoyed the outing and planned to return.

"I think it's great," said Cooper. "I'm basically a homebody."

As part of a July Fourth celebration  some seniors were dressed in red, white and blue. Patriotically colored decorations were placed on the tables and an entertainer sang national songs such as "God Bless America." They munched on hot dogs, baked beans, corn on the cob, and watermelon. After lunch, some danced a conga line, and a few women lip-synced "Stop! In the Name of Love."

"They like my food. They eat everything," said chef Arkady Tkachuk, who has worked at the center since 1991.

Many of the seniors ventured into the lunchroom after attending activities at the center, a sprawling complex that offers everything for the seniors from arm-chair aerobics to swimming in an Olympic-size pool. Transportation is available, but many like Joe Singer, 99, of Maple Shade, drive themselves. Singer gets around in a 2004 Buick.

"I'm still driving. I'm not that old," Singer, a retired Camden store owner, said with a smile, tipping his tan fedora. "There's no reason for me to stay home at my age."

Singer and his wife, Dorothy, joined the Katz center when it was established in the 1940s with facilities in Camden and Pennsauken. The center moved to its current location in 1997.

"You can look around and see what we do for the seniors," said Singer, a widower since 2012. "Everyone is welcome here."

Brill, a widow who heads one of the center' s two singles clubs, said the group has formed close friendships. She checks on the well-being of absent members and visits area military veterans.

"We are family," said Brill. "We do what we can. If God gives me one more day, I'm lucky."

The meals program attracts a diverse crowd, as not just members of the Jewish community center attend. The program is open to anyone 60 and over.

Kennedy, in conjunction with the Food Bank of South Jersey, also provides food —  a month's supply —  to recently discharged older patients. Its home care nurses check the patients' refrigerators to see if they have adequate food, Mordecai said. The hospital also offers discounted meals for seniors through its monthly PrimeTime breakfast and dinner club at its facilities in Cherry Hill, Stratford, and Washington Township.

One of the seniors' favorite meals at the Katz center is brisket, which brings back fond memories and reminds them of their childhood. Brisket is usually served on holidays such as Passover and Rosh Hashanah, and other special occasions.

As part of an online campaign launched in 2015 for a new approach to raise funds  for the senior meal program, the center began using the hashtag #JCCBubbesBrisket. That initial campaign raised more than $13,000, twice its goal.

The second Bubbe's Brisket campaign began July 3 and will run until Aug. 3. Proceeds benefit the meals program as well as other social and recreational programs.

"I feel like this is my second home," said Sydney Williams, 73, of Bellmawr, a retired medical technician who joined the center about four years ago.

For more information or to make a donation visit: unidy.org/jccbubbesbrisket

Jewish Community Center

1301 Springdale Rd.

Cherry Hill, NJ 08033

(856) 856-424-4444